I'm forwarding the official audition call for "Ti Jean and His Brothers" at Central Square Theatre. Please reply to this email if you plan to attend the audition (even if you have already expressed an interest), and include any time constraints so I can schedule you between 2:30 and 6:30 p.m. on June 9th. Copies of the script are available; I'll email one to you if you ask.

Also, I want to cast the net wide for this production -- so please, pass this notice on to those who you think might be interested in taking part. We are especially looking for musicians and dancers with experience in Afro-Carribean forms (they should also be comfortable with, or at least interested in, doing some acting as well). I'm still in the process of finding a musical director, choreographer, and visual artists to collaborate with, so if you know anyone (again, with expertise in Afro-Caribbean, especially Haitian, dance, music, or visual art), send them my way.

Thanks friends!Megan

AUDITION NOTICE

Underground Railway Theater and Boston Playwrights' Theatre announce an additional audition date for their February 10 – March 12, 2011 co-production of "Ti-Jean and His Brothers" by Nobel Prize-winning Caribbean playwright Derek Walcott. The play will be performed by an ensemble portraying multiple characters including humans, animals, and devils. We seek versatile performers comfortable with poetic language and, ideally, familiar with Afro-Caribbean music and dance. Roles are available for both AEA and non-Equity performers.

The script is available for perusal during office hours at StageSource (88 Tremont St., Boston) and at Central Square Theater (450 Mass. Ave., Cambridge – call in advance to Alison Klejna, Manager of Artistic Operations, at 617-576-9278 x209).

Call-back auditions are BY INVITATION and BY APPOINTMENT at Central Square Theater (450 Mass Ave., Cambridge) on Wednesday, June 9th, from 2:30-6:30 p.m. Interested performers should email a headshot/resume and preferred audition times to director Megan Sandberg-Zakian at megansz@gmail.com. You will be contacted within 48 hours.

Please prepare one monologue of up to 2 minutes (not from "Ti-Jean"; best if it is from another poetic or epic text, such as Shakespeare, Walcott, Fornes, Lorca, Soyinka, etc.). You will also be asked to read from the "Ti-Jean" script. An electronic copy of the script will be available in advance. If you play an instrument, sing, or have dance experience, please come prepared to demonstrate (and/or provide us with a link to video/audio of a performance prior to the audition).

A full listing of regularly held West African Dance and Drum classes taught by master artists in and around Boston can be found at our website:www.wadabo.comWADaBo is an entirely volunteer effort, if you would like to help out in anyway, please contact wadabo@gmail.comWADaBo is a collective of individuals interested in promoting and enjoying Dance, Drum, Music, Language and Culture from West African and the DiasporaIf you would like to be removed from this list, or only contacted for certain events (performances, workshops, etc), please go tohttp://lists.wadabo.com/mailman/listinfo/wadabo_updatesand subscribe to this list. Pass it on!

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Greetings! Last month's initial JUMP! was an amazing evening. Beautiful music, great energy, wonderful crowd, and a great venue. I'm happy to say we're back next week for our second JUMP! featuring Boston's own ethio-groove collective - Debo Band. All the details below, and I look forward to seeing you on the dance floor.

Uhuru Afrika's Monthly Live Music sister party 'JUMP' returns! Thursday May 27th 2010

Debo Band, Boston’s own 11 piece Ethio-groove collective explores the unique sounds that filled the dance clubs of “Swinging Addis.” Immersed in the unlikely confluence of traditional East African polyrhythms, pentatonic scales, classic American soul & funk music, and the instrumentation of Eastern European brass bands, Debo Band produces a unique form of dance music.

If you could not join us for our launch party with Lamine Toure & Group Saloum, you missed an amazing evening of Music and dance in a new venue with so much space for dancing and lounging. However, that was just the beginning. Now every month you can dance, party, lounge, listen with us. We hope to see you on this special occasion!

Friday, May 07, 2010

The lack of clean water in many parts of the world is threatening the extinction of many indigenous cultures. This is especially true for the Dagara people of Burkina Faso, who live in the Sahel, a desert like corridor, in West Africa.

In 2004, when a Kristen Karinshak, a high school sophomore in Leesburg, VA, learned from Sobofu Some, of Burkina Faso. that mothers and children had to walk up to 6 hours a day with heavy jugs on their heads in order to provide water for their families, she decided to take action. She led her first fund raising event, called Walking For Water.The seventh annual walk will be held May 8, 2010.Thousands of dollars have been raised from these seven walks and ten wells have already been dug.This as a great start, but much work still needs to be done.

Here in Boston, let's support this important effort anddance for water!!!Come to this benefit class and dance, watch, sponsor a friend to dance or send in a donation on your own.No offering is too small.

Consider this:The average shower uses over 50 gallons of water.Children in Burkina Faso begin carrying water at age.UNICEF reports that 2% of children in the US die before the age of 5. In Burkina Faso 45% die before their 5th birthday.

The lack of clean water in many parts of the world is threatening the extinction of many indigenous cultures. This is especially true for the Dagara people of Burkina Faso, who live in the Sahel, a desert like corridor, in West Africa.

In 2004, when a Kristen Karinshak, a high school sophomore in Leesburg, VA, learned from Sobofu Some, of Burkina Faso. that mothers and children had to walk up to 6 hours a day with heavy jugs on their heads in order to provide water for their families, she decided to take action. She led her first fund raising event, called Walking For Water.The seventh annual walk will be held May 8, 2010.Thousands of dollars have been raised from these seven walks and ten wells have already been dug.This as a great start, but much work still needs to be done.

Here in Boston, let's support this important effort anddance for water!!!Come to this benefit class and dance, watch, sponsor a friend to dance or send in a donation on your own.No offering is too small.

Consider this:The average shower uses over 50 gallons of water.Children in Burkina Faso begin carrying water at age.UNICEF reports that 2% of children in the US die before the age of 5. In Burkina Faso 45% die before their 5th birthday.

About

Welcome to the Blog of WADaBo (West African Dance in Boston)! We are a group of individuals engaged in a collective effort to promote West African Dancing, Drumming, Music and Culture in and around Boston.

There are many master teachers here who teach a myriad of classes, and a vibrant community of students. We hope that this site can serve as a mode of communication amongst this community, a means of promotion for teachers based in Boston, as well as those who are going to be holding guest workshops here.

This Blog serves primarily as a public archive of / alternative consumption method for the WADaBo email list. If you would like to contribute to either, please get in touch. wadabo [at] g mail d o t c o m